The University of Maine’s College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture formalized its relationship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) by signing a memorandum of understanding Oct. 30.
Edward Ashworth, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture, and William Karp, NOAA Fisheries Northeast science and research director, met to establish a framework to formally recognize previous research collaborations and help initiate new opportunities between UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences; Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology; School of Biology and Ecology; and NOAA scientists.
The agreement lays the foundation for more collaborative research projects between the institutions as well as increased NOAA participation in graduate projects, undergraduate research internships and mentoring.
“I fully expect that this agreement will strengthen and build upon our history of successful collaboration, increase our collective understanding of the fisheries and ecosystems of the Gulf of Maine, and result in new opportunities to mentor students,” Karp says.
Members of the involved UMaine departments and NOAA Fisheries attended the document signing to discuss future opportunities that could result from the agreement.
A new cooperative undergraduate research internship program also was announced during the meeting. NOAA will fund up to five undergraduate research internships for students at UMaine to work with its staff to experience what it is like to work in the fisheries field.
The memorandum of understanding offers broad guidelines for pursuing mutual interests, and shows that NEFSC and UMaine recognize the need for enhancing research collaborations. The institutions are interested in partnerships that expand cooperation, collaboration and the exchange of ideas related to applied research in the Gulf of Maine, its watersheds and the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf.
“Enhanced collaboration between university and government science enterprises will leverage the strengths of both groups to better understand these ecosystems while training the next generation of scientists,” according to the memo.
Karp directs the NEFSC, a federal research institution. NOAA Fisheries’ mission is to ensure vital and sustainable fisheries, safe seafood, recovery and conservation of protected species, and healthy marine ecosystems. For its part, the center gathers and analyzes data and conducts research to develop ecosystem-level knowledge of marine life in waters off the Northeastern U.S. The center has facilities in Orono, Maine; Woods Hole, Massachusetts; Narragansett, Rhode Island; Milford, Connecticut; and Highlands, New Jersey.
Departments within UMaine’s College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture strive to develop scientific understanding of the Gulf of Maine and its watersheds and marine environment, to integrate and communicate knowledge through interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate studies, and to apply it toward the stewardship of the region’s living resources and its habitats.
Contact: Elyse Kahl, 207.581.3747